Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Canary Islands Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Canary Islands

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,605 in Canary Islands.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $2,231 in Canary Islands.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,858 in Canary Islands.

Living in Mexico City costs roughly 9% less than in Canary Islands, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 10% above, Canary Islands 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$17.33 €14.91

-23.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$57.8 €49.75

-6.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$9.93 €8.55

-5.14%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.79 €1.54

98.32%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.76 €1.51

-7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.07 €0.92

3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.93 €2.52

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.30 €2.84

40.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.26 €1.08

34.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.70 €1.46

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.50 €1.29

27.33%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$3.03 €2.61

-16.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$17.01 €14.63

-41.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$8.31 €7.15

-2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$14.62 €12.58

-20.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.48 €2.13

19.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.70 €1.47

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.60 €1.37

25.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.51 €2.16

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.55 €1.33

36.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.71 €1.47

32.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$1.54 €1.32

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.69 €0.60

63.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$4.83 €4.15

-11.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$8.17 €7.02

90.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.41 €1.21

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.72 €1.48

109.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$1.70 €1.46

-77.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$34.27 €29.48

-44.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$3.74 €3.21

-63.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.33 €1.15

-78.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$17.08 €14.69

-68.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.68 €1.44

-22.62%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$25.9K €22.3K

-27.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$29.7K €25.6K

-22.13%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$40.86 MX$707

$91.6 €78.8

-55.37%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.81 MX$464

$21.07 €18.12

27.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$30.71 €26.42

-2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$48.50 €41.72

7.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$24.76 €21.30

8.40%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$10.08 €8.67

-37.50%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$436 MX$7,544

$341 €294

27.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$8,375 €7,204

24.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$69.0 €59.4

-17.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$33.95 €29.21

30.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$79.8 €68.7

28.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$70.5 €60.7

49.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$1,148 €988

-10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$707 €608

-10.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$2,253 €1,938

-5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$788 €678

57.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$3,480 €2,994

12.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$2,338 €2,011

-11.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$1,454 €1,250

-23.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

3.33

240.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for Canary Islands: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $1,148 in Canary Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $58.0 in Canary Islands. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $275, with Canary Islands cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Canary Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Canary Islands. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexico City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Canary Islands earns 30% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $1,148 in Canary Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Canary Islands pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Mexico City – a meal for two runs $54.0 versus $58.0 in Canary Islands. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,605 in Canary Islands, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexico City but tight or insufficient in Canary Islands. The gap between the two cities makes Mexico City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mexico City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,467 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mexico City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Canary Islands are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mexico City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.